


now and forevermore

by somehowunbroken



Category: Hockey RPF
Genre: M/M, Secret Marriage
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-22
Updated: 2016-12-22
Packaged: 2018-09-11 02:59:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,103
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8951218
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/somehowunbroken/pseuds/somehowunbroken
Summary: It's summer, and they can do whatever they want.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [maleyka](https://archiveofourown.org/users/maleyka/gifts).



> hi, maleyka! this is one of the treat fics i wrote you for hockey hols. there's a longer fic and another treat fic for you as well, because i couldn't resist writing some of my favorite rarepairs! i hope you enjoy your fics, and happy holidays :)
> 
> thanks to S., D., and A. for beta reading/cheerleading. title is from ["youth" by troye sivan](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XYAghEq5Lfw).

The summer after they get drafted is hot and slow-moving, syrup-sticky around the edges. It's the kind of weather that makes you feel like it'll be summer forever, like winter will never come. Lawson had hated it as a kid; winter brings hockey, and summer might mean no school, but the trade-off was never worth it, if you'd asked him.

It's still not his favorite thing in the world, but he has to reconsider at least a little. Summer means no hockey, but it means being home, means watching as Travis gets tanner and tanner, means training together during the day and sprawling out in the bed of Travis' pickup late at night, not exactly stargazing but not really doing anything else, either.

They're out driving on a rare off-day, not heading to any particular destination but not ready to stop, either, when Travis hums a little. "This summer," he starts.

Lawson waits; this is how Travis is, sometimes, putting words out there just to let them hang before he gives them friends to play with.

"This summer," Travis says again. "It's been good, right?"

"Yeah," Lawson replies. "It's been pretty great so far."

"Yeah," Travis says. He goes quiet again, and Lawson turns toward him, tries to read between the lines on Travis' forehead and the way his lips are pursed. There's something on his mind, that much is obvious, but Lawson can't tell where Travis is headed, so he can't help guide him in the right direction.

They've known each other their entire lives; Lawson's been in love with Travis for at least half that long. Still, Travis surprises him sometimes.

"We should get married," Travis says.

This time it's Lawson who lets the words sit between them. He rolls the idea around in his head, stretching and compressing it. It's not where he thought his day was heading, but he can't always predict what Travis is going to want. This is—he's thought about it, sure, in a sort of abstract _one day in the future_ sort of thing. Him and Travis, retiring somewhere together, two names on one title. A cabin, probably, because Lawson knows the things Travis loves, but he wouldn't mind it himself, either.

"I don't know if I want the team to know," Lawson says slowly. "At least not until I make the roster."

"We can keep it quiet," Travis replies. "I figured we would, for a while."

Lawson nods. "You want to do it right now?"

Travis turns his warm, full smile towards Lawson. "We could," he says, fingers tapping at the steering wheel as he focuses back on the road. "I know someone who's got their license to do it."

"My sisters might be mad," Lawson says. "And your mom. I don't want my mother-in-law to hate me for not inviting her to our wedding, TK."

"Tomorrow, then," Travis says, and there's a list longer than Lawson can name of reasons he's head over heels for Travis, but his uncrushable spirit, his unshakeable faith that things will go his way if he waits for the right opportunity, those reasons are right up there. "It's even a Saturday. Everyone can be there."

"Okay," Lawson says. "If you can make it work for tomorrow, then let's do it."

"I mean, it won't be perfect," Travis says. He grips the steering wheel hard for a second, like the admission is killing him a little inside, and Lawson reaches over so he can put his hand on Travis' knee, steadying him.

"It'll be perfect," Lawson promises, smiling at him with everything he's got.

The rest of the day is a little bit like a movie montage; they drive back to Lawson's, and from there it's a blur of making phone calls and getting things in order. They don't invite a ton of people outside family, because if you invite one hockey player you end up with more than anyone can reasonably be expected to handle. Also, as Travis points out, "None of our friends can keep their mouths shut."

It's almost dinnertime before Kyla asks what they're doing about rings, and that's another entire blur of time, frantic phone calls to stores in town looking for something that won't cost them a fortune. They might be drafted, they might have the futures of their dreams coming faster than they can really believe, but neither of them has much right this second.

"We can get fancier ones later," Lawson offers as they study a tray of plain gold bands. "If you want."

Travis shakes his head a little, frowning. He pokes at the rings, watching as they slide together. "Whatever we get, I want it to be for good," he says. He sighs a little, and Lawson bumps their shoulders together. Travis bumps right back, and Lawson grins at their reflections in one of the mirrors on the counter.

He stops suddenly, taking a step forward to look at the mirror more closely. Then he turns and walks for the other side of the store, pulling Travis along with him.

"What if," he says, pointing at the chain necklaces. "It'd be less questions, and we wouldn't have to take them off for games."

Travis leans over the display case, his fingers still firmly laced through Lawson's. "There are a lot more of them," he says, sounding far more excited than he had about the rings. "And I like some of these a lot better."

"Me too," Lawson says, smiling. "Let's do it."

The clerk mostly just smiles at them when they say they're going with necklaces instead, which is fine. She puts them in separate boxes, then into the same bag, and Lawson's stuck on the mental image of it, two separate things going together to the same place. It's a comforting thought, somehow.

"Hey," Travis says when they get back into the truck. "You're quiet."

"Can't all be you, I guess," Lawson says, which gets him a shove but also a smile. "I'm glad we're doing this."

Travis' face softens. "It's a little crazy," he replies.

"You like that kind of thing," Lawson points out, grinning. "And hey, TK?"

"What?"

"I was gonna marry you anyway," Lawson says. He hadn't figured it was a secret; they're both the kind of guys who wear their hearts on their sleeve, but it's worth saying it out loud anyway for the way Travis' whole face brightens.

"Yeah?" Travis says, voice quiet but so, so warm. "Not if I marry you first."

Lawson laughs and reaches over to hold Travis' hand as they drive back home.

He's so glad they're doing this.

**Author's Note:**

> -and then lawson gets traded to arizona! whooooops
> 
> -but they live happily ever after anyway i promise
> 
> -(has anyone else noticed that law wears #67 when he's... not the one who played for the ottawa 67s... unsubtle, law.)


End file.
